Thank You Robin

I can safely say that I’ve never been so devastated by a stranger’s death as I have by Robin Williams passing (a sentiment echoed on Twitter by…uggh…Miley Cyrus). Obviously, in recent years, I’ve been shocked and saddened by the unexpected deaths of people like Michael Jackson, Heath Ledger, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Dave Niehaus and several others. But for some reason, after watching and reading a handful of tributes from celebrities, my friends and even President Obama, it was just too much to handle. Obviously, I never met Robin Williams but the amount of powerful experiences I’ve had with him on a screen cascaded into one giant avalanche of sadness.

I learned the news from my mom this morning, which is somehow appropriate because of something that happened twenty odd years ago, when I was three or four. My mom tells this story frequently, so I know it well despite being too young to really remember it. According to her, the biggest temper tantrum I ever threw as a kid was due to her not letting me rent the movie “Hook” from our local grocery store. She thought I wasn’t yet mature enough for some of its scarier moments, but I wanted nothing more in the world than to see that film, creating something of an embarrassing scene, to say the least. I'm not sure why I wanted the film so desperately, but I imagine it had something to do with Peter Pan's charm on the cover or in the movie trailer.

But “Hook” is just one of the dozens of Robin’s movies that hit me in one way or another—I did finally get to see it, in case you were wondering. “Mrs. Doubtfire” was one of the staples of my childhood along with “Aladdin” and “Aladdin: Prince of Thieves.” “Patch Adams” and “Dead Poets Society” inspired me to fight for what is right. “Jumanji” and “What Dreams May Come” made my head explode with their imagination and complexity in alternative worlds. “Good Morning Vietnam” and “Good Will Hunting” left a deep imprint on my young brain with their darker themes. Even films “Bicentennial Man” and “One Hour Photo” that I didn’t particularly love were memorable in their strangeness. “The World According to Garp”, “Awakenings”, “Flubber”, “Fern Gully”, “The Birdcage”, I had to consult Wikipedia to even compile all the films I’ve seen with Robin.

But a lot of actors have been in a lot of movies. What made Robin special was that he WAS the movies he performed in. Every film listed above was defined by his contribution, no matter the size of the part. I cannot think of another animated film with as memorable a character as Genie from “Aladdin”, with Batty Koda from “Fern Gully” coming close. Mrs. Doubtfire was one of the best, most original comedic performances anyone could possibly conceive of. Even his Oscar speech for “Good Will Hunting” was one for the ages.

Yet saying Robin was legendary doesn’t necessarily explain why my heart is so heavy. His comedic roles brought tears of laughter and side-aches, his serious roles were thought-provoking and unique. Losing him is like losing a great teacher. I've spent hours and hours watching him personify the power of his craft, a craft that has been ever present in my life, performing. And in a way, even his death taught me the massive effect cinema has had on me. I never knew that I could possibly care so much about the death of a movie star.

This post is just one of thousands coming in every minute from around the world. I’m writing this because my brief sentences on Facebook didn’t seem to be enough to convey Robin’s enormous positive impact on my life, whether or not I realized it before now. Thank you and Rest In Peace.